Greeks,

Matter,
Motion, and the
Universe
 Questions to think about
How did the ancient Greeks contribute to our modern concept
of science? How was their approach different?

What did Plato mean by saving the appearances? How, if at all,

is the Allegory of the Cave related to their approach to natural
philosophy?

What is meant by diurnal motion, annual motion, precession of

the equinoxes? How were the Greeks able to establish that the
Earth is spherical?

What are the main features of the two domains view of the
universe? How are the celestial and terrestrial domains
different?
Big Questions for the Next Weeks

How did we come to realize that the

Earth is not the center of the
universe?

How did we come to adopt the view

that the universe is a mechanism?
Our story begins with the ancient Greeks...
Why talk about the Greeks?
Why talk about the Greeks?

They got some things right

Why talk about the Greeks?

They got some things right

and many things wrong

Why talk about the Greeks?

They got some things right

and many things wrong

But they started asking the right questions.

Greek View of Matter, Motion, and the
Universe
Natural Philosophy and the Role of
Mathematics

Matter

Motion

The Universe
Natural Philosophy
and the Role of
Mathematics
 Greece
7th Century
B.C.
The Universe is a
rational place, with
natural laws that can
be figured out.
 Natural Philosophy
An attempt to develop a consistent set of
natural laws to explain physical
phenomena without reference to
supernatural causes / beings.
Plato

Mathematical symmetries
as the language of
universal design and
harmony.
Plato

Mathematical symmetries
as the language of
universal design and
harmony.
 ~1,200 years
600 BC 400 BC 200 BC 0 AD 200 AD
 The Greeks were guided by a paradigm that was first
articulated by Pythagoras (lived c569--475 B.C.E., picture on
left) before Socrates' time. A paradigm is a general consensus
of belief of how the world works. It is a mental framework we
use to interpret what happens around us. It is what could be
called ``common sense''. The Pythagorean Paradigm had
three key points about the movements of celestial objects:

The planets, Sun, Moon and stars move in perfectly circular

orbits;
The speed of the planets, Sun, Moon and stars in their circular
orbits is perfectly uniform;
The Earth is at the exact center of the motion of the celestial
bodies.

Source of image:

http://sid.at/hs-strassburg/images/pythagoras.jpg
http://platea.cnice.mecd.es/~macruz/mente/pythagoras.jpg
 Pythagoras
1 represented reason, for reason could
produce only one consistent body of truth
2 stood for man
3 stood for woman
4 symbol for justice, being the first number
that is the product of two equals
5 identified with marriage, because it is
formed by the union of 2 and 3
1, 3, 6, 10
1, 4, 9, 16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoreanism
Perfect Shape
Perfect Shapes
Perfect 3D Shape
 Some Questions asked by the Greeks

What is the Universe made of?

What is the nature of motion?

 Features of a Good Theory (Greek
View)

Logically sound

All ideas consistent with each other

Plausible results
 Features of a Good Features of a
Theory (Greek View) Good Theory
(Modern View)

Logically sound
Logically sound

All ideas consistent All ideas consistent with

with each other each other

Plausible results Plausible results

Quantitative Predictions

Repeated Comparison
with observations and
experiments
 Domains and Elements (Greeks)
Fire
Sublunar/Terrestrial
Domain
(temporal and imperfect
objects) Air

Water
Universe
Superlunar/Celestial
Domain
Earth
(eternal and perfect
objects) Element =
Aether /
Quintessence
 Types of Motion (Greeks)
Alteration

Terrestrial

Natural / Vertical

Motion Celestial Horizontal / Violent

(uniform + circular)
Celestial Motion
Diurnal Motion
23 November 2010
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 November 2010
8 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 November 2010
9 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 November 2010
10 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 November 2010
11 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 November 2010
12 MN
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
24 November 2010
1 AM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
24 November 2010
2 AM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
24 November 2010
3 AM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
24 November 2010
4 AM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
24 November 2010
5 AM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
5 hours of star trails in Iran
Annual Motion
23 November 2010
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
08 December 2010
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 December 2010
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 January 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 January 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 February 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 February 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 March 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 March 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 April 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 April 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 May 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 May 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 June 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 June 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 July 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 July 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 August 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 August 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 September 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 September 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 October2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
23 October 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
8 November 2011
7 PM
PAGASA
Observatory
Diliman, Quezon
City
Annual Motion-Sun
 Annual Motion-Sun

Analemma
=Figure 8 like
annual path of
the sun
Greeks guided by a paradigm first
articulated by Pythagoras (c569--475 B.C.E)
before Socrates' time.

Key points about the movements of

celestial objects:

1) The planets, Sun, Moon and stars move

in perfectly circular orbits;
Greeks guided by a paradigm first
articulated by Pythagoras (c569--475 B.C.E)
before Socrates' time.

Key points about the movements of

celestial objects:

1) The planets, Sun, Moon and stars move

in perfectly circular orbits;

2) The speed of the planets, Sun, Moon

and stars in their circular orbits is perfectly
uniform;
Greeks guided by a paradigm first
articulated by Pythagoras (c569--475 B.C.E)
before Socrates' time.

Key points about the movements of

celestial objects:

1) The planets, Sun, Moon and stars move

in perfectly circular orbits;

2) The speed of the planets, Sun, Moon

and stars in their circular orbits is perfectly
uniform;

3)The Earth is at the exact center of the

motion of the celestial bodies.
Some Things that
the Greeks Got
Right
Some Things that the Greeks Got Right

Precession of the Equinoxes

North Ecliptic Pole North Celestial Pole

North Celestial Pole North Ecliptic Pole
Rotate Eastward
Precess Westward

2000 AD 15000 AD
Some Things that the Greeks Got Right

Earth is
spherical
based on
experimental
evidence
Eratosthenes
Experiment
How much time between 1st Quarter and Last Quarter?

How much time between Last Quarter and 1st Quarter?

How much time between 1st Quarter and Last Quarter?
13 DAYS 17 HOURS 28 MINUTES

How much time between Last Quarter and 1st Quarter?

15 DAYS 23 HOURS 55 MINUTES
Retrograde
Motion
Greeks Got Some Things Right
Diurnal and Annual Motion

Hipparchus: precession of the equinoxes, systematic recording of

observational astronomy

Earth is spherical

Eratosthenes: Good estimate for the size of the Earth

Time between 1st Quarter and Last Quarter not the same as time
between Last Quarter and 1st Quarter

Retrograde Motion
Greek Models of the
Universe
Greeks guided by a paradigm first
articulated by Pythagoras (c569--475 B.C.E)
before Socrates' time.

Key points about the movements of

celestial objects:

1) The planets, Sun, Moon and stars move

in perfectly circular orbits;

2) The speed of the planets, Sun, Moon

and stars in their circular orbits is perfectly
uniform;

3)The Earth is at the exact center of the

motion of the celestial bodies.
 Puzzle
How do we reconcile the Pythagoran paradigm with the
observed motion of the heavenly bodies ?
Plato: Allegory of the Cave
Plato: Saving the Appearances

Observed motion = combinations of uniform circular

motion

Task for future Philiosphers: Explain the observed motion

of the heavenly bodies in terms of combinations of
uniform circular motions.
Celestial Sphere
 Greek View of the Universe
Geocentric theory of the universe Earth-centered universe
 Greek View of the Universe
Geocentric theory of the universe Earth-centered universe

Early Greek Universe : Earth + celestial spheres (Eudoxus,

Aristotle)
Eudoxus (Homocentric Model)
Eudoxus (Homocentric Model), Play Video
Moon:1+2
Sun:1+2
Venus:1+3
Mercury:1+3
Mars :1+3
Jupiter:1+3
Saturn:1+3
Stars: 1
TOTAL: 27 SPHERES
 Aristotles Model
Problem with Eudoxus: Intelligences etc.

Introduced: Prime Mover + 28 other spheres (gear-like

mechanism)
Problems with Aristotles Model
Cant Explain:

Change in apparent size of moon

Change in brightness of the planets

 Greek View of the Universe
Geocentric theory of the universe Earth-centered universe

Early Greek Universe : Earth + celestial spheres (Eudoxus,

Aristotle)

Ptolemys Universe : Additional devices to account for

actual observations. [Details next meeting]
Minority View:

Aristarchus (310-230 B.C.,

Greek)

- the Sun is in the center of the

universe

-theory considered too radical

- note that he was 1,750 years

ahead of Copernicus

Source of image
http://physics.unr.edu/grad/wel
ser/astro/astronomers.html